Posts Tagged ‘diet’

When I was growing up, I only remember my mom buying cooking vegetable oil. Although vegetable oil cooking mainly consists of polyunsaturated fats, which is good!, there are a lot of other cooking oil types that should be explored. Now that I’ve been eating/cooking with a focus on my health, I usually use extra virgin olive oil… for everything! So now I figure it’s time to start expanding my oil knowledge in order to find just the right oil for each and every food that I eat/cook. Below are some of the basics, which is a great start. As I begin to use different oils, I will add more information as well as more tips, so stay tuned! Remember, healthy cooking oilsare a great addition to your everyday diet!

What is Cooking Oil?

Cooking oil is derived from plants. It’s really that simple. Of course, there’s a process of cooking and blending, etc. in order to get to the final result of the actual cooking oil, but the what’s important to know is the fact that cooking oil are plant-based, which is a good thing! Cooking Oil Fats Monounsaturated Fats – Unsaturated. Helps to decrease the amount of cholesterol. Enjoy this heart healthy oil! Polyunsaturated Fats – Unsaturated. Helps to decrease the amount of cholesterol. Enjoy this heart healthy oil! Saturated Fats – Turn solid at room temperature. Try to avoid or consume as little as possible. Trans Fats – Avoid!

What is a Smoking Point?

The smoking point of an oil simply refers to the temperature at which the oil will start to smoke. When an oil starts to smoke, this means that the fat’s are starting to break down. This breakdown starts to change the molecular structure, which means free radicals are being produced (not good!). High Smoking Point – browning, deep-frying, searing Medium-High Smoking Point -baking, stir-fry, sauces Medium Smoking Point – sauces, light sautéing, low-heat baking

Sunflower Cooking Oil

A great oil for frying due to its light taste as well as its heart healthy benefits. Smoking Point – High – @ 475° Monounsaturated Fats = 79% Polyunsaturated = 7% Saturated Fats = 14%

Soybean Cooking Oil

Canola Cooking Oil

Considered to be one of the healthiest cooking oils out there as it is known for its heart healthy benefits. Smoking Point – Medium-High – @ 400° Monounsaturated Fats = 62% Polyunsaturated = 31% Saturated Fats = 7%

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Cooking with olive oil is a great idea due to its taste as well as its numerous health benefits. Smoking Point – Medium-High – @ 320° Monounsaturated Fats = 78% Polyunsaturated = 8% Saturated Fats = 14%

No Cooking Oils

Oils that aren’t used for cooking. These oils are considered to be healthy and can be used for dressing, marinades, and dips.

Flaxseed Oil

Monounsaturated Fats = 65% Polyunsaturated = 28% Saturated Fats = 7%

Wheat Germ Oil

Monounsaturated Fats = 65% Polyunsaturated = 18% Saturated Fats = 17%

Cooking Oil Tips:

-Store oils in a dark, cool place. Shelf life ranges from 6 months to 1 year. -Splurge on oils that you’ll be eating as a dressing, dipping, etc. You’ll want to taste the delicious flavor of your favorite non-cooking oil! -You can use leftover oil for another 5 or 6 times. Simply strain and store in the fridge. -There are many different brands to try, so make sure you experiment in order to find the one(s) that works best for you!

Chia Seeds

So what exaclty are chia seeds? Chia seeds come from the Chia plant, which is native to both Mexico and Guatamala. High in omega-3 fatty acids as well as dietary fiber, chia seeds are a great way to add these two essential items to your everyday diet.

Chia Seeds – Nutrition

–Chia Seeds are full of nutrients! –There are about 140 calories in a 1-ounce serving of chia seeds. –Glycemic Load is very low –There are about 12 grams of carbohydrates included in a 1-ounce serving of chia seeds. –A 1-ounce serving of chia seeds can provide nearly half of your daily fiber intake!

Chia Seed – Suggestions

You can choose to add the chia seeds to your water (or your favorite drink), although know that they will become gelatinous, or you can grind them for a smoother drinking quality. Or add them to your yogurt like I do every morning for a nutritious breakfast. They fit in perfectly with my flax seeds and granola! Also, you can add them to your oatmeal or in your next batch of banana bread. All you need is about 2 – 3 tablespoons (1 ounce) to receive the many benefits derived from consuming chia seeds. Although I really don’t agree with being sneaky about food when it comes to kids being picky eaters, integrating chia seeds into pancakes, muffins, or essentially any food that your child currently eats can be quite easy to do. I only suggest this for kids who are super picky and thus not open to trying any new food. I’m sure there are many, many more ways in which you can add chia seeds to your everyday diet. Since I’ve only found out about chia a couple of months ago, I would love if you would please share some of the ways you currently use chia seeds. We’d love to hear about them!

Fiber

We usually hear about fiber when we read about food and health, or when we see this word on food labels. Fiber isn’t always on the top of everyone’s list when it comes to finding nutritious foods to eat, which probably means that many of us don’t know exactly what it is or how important it is to our health. There are many great sources of fiber that we can incorporate in our diet, we just need to do a little research in order to find which of our favorite foods have a lot of fiber content so we can eat these particular foods more often. And who knows, maybe in the process you’ll find a few more healthy food ideas to give yourself a little more variety! A few foods that are high in fiber include – fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole wheat, whole grains, beans, and seeds.

Oats

Oatsare a great way to get your fiber intake during breakfast! Oats can be used for a variety of healthy breakfast meals, and are easily incorporated into a variety of healthy breakfast recipes.

Two main types of fiber: soluble and insoluble

Soluble

is commonly found in legumes, oat bran, and psyllium. As the name implies, this type of fiber dissolves in water.

Insoluble

on the other hand is something that our bodies cannot digest. This includes the plant walls which cannot be dissolved by our bodies which are common in cereals and vegetables.

Fiber Benefits

A diet rich in fiber is known to contribute many health benefits. The most common result of a high fiber diet is good bowel movement (it absorbs water as it goes along the colon thereby easing defecation). Fiber also lowers cholesterol and blood pressure, reduces risks of heart disease and Type II Diabetes, while helping prevent certain forms of cancer.

How Much Fiber?

Fiber contributes to healthy weight management because with the right amount of daily intake (25 to 35 grams), fat absorption is reduced. Because food rich in fiber are low in the glycemic index, they take longer for the body to convert into sugar. This means that those who eat fiber regularly don’t feel hungry very often.

Recipies

There are lots of tricky words in the English language. Since the word ‘recipes’ is often misspelled as recipies, I thought it would be a good idea to incorporate the misspelled version so that those who are entering this misspelled word can find my website! I’m fairly sure that there are not as many options that come up when performing a search for a misspelled word, so hopefully by my using recipies people will be able to find this site. (-:

Healthy Breakfast Ideas

Coming up with original, healthy breakfast recipies can be tricky, as there are lots of easy recipies out there that people tend to associate with when they begin to think of breakfast food or breakfast ideas. So what are some of the more common and simple breakfast recipes that people think of when you mention the word ‘Breakfast’? –Fruit –Yogurt –Cold Cereal, Oatmeal –Waffles, Pancakes –Eggs, Omelets –Bacon, Sausage, Ham

Breakfast Foods

I grew up eating these breakfast foods often, and really enjoyed eating them, but now that I’m 40-something my tastes have changed and thus my eating habits have changed. The foods that I now crave are healthier, which is great! The overabundance of unhealthy foods that are sold in the market today make it so easy to buy these unhealthy foods. Especially convenience foods, which are sold almost everywhere. Although these foods are indeed convenient, most of them are not healthy, making it so that many people don’t know where to begin when it comes to choosing healthy foods to incorporate into their everyday diet. Therefore, I’m hoping that my journey of finding new and healthy food recipies to eat (for breakfast) will also help you on your quest to find new and healthy foods to eat so that you can feel energized throughout the day! Because when you eat healthy foods you are giving your body the essential nutrients that it needs in order to be/stay healthy. Now, let’s take a look at those common breakfast foods from above again so that we can still eat them yet with a healthy twist, turning them into a few healthy breakfast recipies! –

Cold Cereal

There aren’t a lot of healthy cereal choices, so try to choose ones with minimal ingredients. Also, stay away from preservatives, additives, food colorings, HFCS, enriched flour, and sugars. (Yes, this eliminates most of the cold cereal choices!) –

Oatmeal

Don’t buy those prepackaged oatmeal packets that contain a super long list of ingredients! Instead, buy a box of oatmeal that contains… get ready… whole oats! Then you can simply add your own favorite (fresh and healthy) ingredients, such as fruit, granola, or a sprinkling of brown sugar. –

Waffles and Pancakes

Either buy one of the few brandsthat have a short list of ingredients or make your own! See my favorite waffle and favorite pancake recipies here (COMING SOON!!). –

Eggs, Omelets

If you’re watching your cholesterol, you can buy egg substitutes, which are pretty good. Otherwise, buy eggs that come from free-range chickens. The chickens from these brands aren’t caged up for their whole lives, which is really sad and unnecessary, so you’ll not only be supporting a great and natural way to raise chickens, eggs from happy chickens will taste so much better! –

Bacon, Sausage, Ham

Try to buy meats that contain as few preservatives as possible, i.e. the fresher, the better! Tip? Tell your butcher what you’re looking for and ask for their opinion.

Although the above aren’t really recipies but more like tips, they do provide some great guidelines that you can follow that can help you in your quest to choose healthier breakfast recipies. Be sure to pick and choose in order to use any or all of the above tips that may be helpful for you!

Vegetables

Eating vegetables are really important to staying healthy and strong. They contain a number of nutrients that are very beneficial to your health, making vegetables an important part of your everyday diet. Although buying your food local is a really great idea, it is simply not always possible. Not every city or town has access to a Farmers Market, even though they are becoming more and more popular making buying local (which equals fresh!) much easier to do. When you visit the supermarket to buy your fresh vegetables, there’s simply no telling how long ago they were picked, where they came from, and what kind of pesticides were used. When you visit your local Farmers Market, you know everything is super fresh (probably picked that very morning!), and can talk directly to the farmer who can answer each and every question you have about a particular food. Additionally, ask for a recipe or two, they will be glad to share!

Vegetables in Season

Vegetables are grown in a variety of places all over the country/world. Be sure to know when your favorite vegetables are in season so you can buy them when they are at their very best!

Vegetables in Season

January cabbages, leeks, broccoli, cauliflower February broccoli, cauliflower March broccoli, lettuce April zucchini, rhubarb, artichokes, asparagus, spring peas, broccoli, lettuce May okra, zucchini, rhubarb, artichokes, asparagus, spring peas, broccoli, lettuce June corn, lettuce July cucumbers, tomatoes, summer squash, corn, green beans, lettuce August cucumbers, corn, eggplant, tomatoes, summer squash, green beans, lettuce September eggplants, pumpkins, tomatoes, spinach, lettuce October sweet potatoes, pumpkins, winter squash, broccoli, spinach, lettuce November broccoli, pumpkins, winter squash, mushrooms, spinach, sweet potatoes December broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, sweet potatoes Good to Know If you want to buy and eat a particular vegetable that is not is season, check to see if it is available in the frozen section. When foods are frozen, all their nutritional qualities are locked in, making this a great second choice when it comes to buying your favorite vegetables. Enjoy!

Healthy Food

If you are a parent you know that most kids tend to be really picky eaters. If a food simply looks weird then it will probably be as difficult as pulling teeth to get them to “just give it a try”. So what should you do? I think that the easiest way to incorporate a new and healthy food into your child’s diet is to keep giving them new food choices. For example, buy a fruit or vegetablethat they have never tried before (preferably at your local farmers market) and have them give it a try. If your child tries it and doesn’t like it, praise them for giving it a try. And don’t be discouraged – what they don’t like today they may like tomorrow! Simply send this particular healthy food choice to the bottom of the list and try the next food. Eventually this particular healthy food will come back up and maybe they will like it the next time around. Also, remember that kids are very visual so make the food you’ve chosen look appealing while keeping it simple. Interestingly, studies show that it can take up to 10 times for a child to try a new, healthy food before it can be determined that this healthy food indeed needs to be omitted from the list. (for a while anyway!)

Some Healthy Food Tips

: -Try to buy fresh foods, they taste better and are better for you. -Don’t try to hide the food in other food. Your child should know what they are eating so they can ask for it again. Lifelong habits are being formed now. -Take your child shopping with you and only go to ‘healthy’ sections of the store–produce, dairy, etc. They will be more apt to eat something that they have chosen themselves. -Let your child help you prepare the meal. Engaging their natural curiously is a way to get them involved in what they eat. -Teach your child about food and where it really comes from, which is not the corner grocery store! Connect them with where food really comes from by planting a small vegetable or herb garden.